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Thursday, 31 May 2012

Treacle Moon Body Butter, Body Scrub & Gentle Hand Wash.

I was extremely excited to try these, you must know by now that I am obsessed with coconut. I like it everywhere in every form, literally. What is so appealing and got me so interested about this brand is that I find it really hard to find nice, reasonably priced shower products that are cruelty free. Lets start with the packaging, look familiar to you? It reminds me a lot of Purity - simple, clean and attractive which I like. Now going onto the smell, oh my. I'm not going to lie I may have stuck my tongue in the body butter for not even a millisecond, it certainly didn't taste as good as it smelt. But this range smells really really, really amazing! Even if you're not interested in buying anything from Treacle Moon I urge you to PLEASE go and have a sniff. My favourite out of these has the to be the body butter, it goes on really nicely, sinks in, doesn't feel sticky and makes my skin feel hydrated to a certain extent. I wouldn't say it does wonders, but its generally a nice product that I will always want to own. The hand wash is also really nice, it doesn't dry out my hands which I find being the result in cheaper products. It makes them feel really lovely and soft. I had really high hopes for the body scrub, but it just did not do it for me. Which is such a shame and I hate to be negative about a great brand, but the issue with me is that it contains mineral oil. I knew it straight away when I used it in the shower. Mineral oil is a cheap ingredient that clogs your pores and leaves a film on your skin which I can't stand. When I buy products I always read the ingredients and avoid it at all costs. Its generally known not to be very good for your skin. Also because I fake tan weekly this is just a huge no, when applying the fake tan it doesn't allow it to sink into your skin. Ending on a more positive note I believe that these are available in Tesco's and their products cost around the £2.00 mark, not bad eh? I would love to try more from the range, especially the vanilla products!

Tuesday, 29 May 2012

This has been my bag of choice ever since picking it up a couple of weeks ago in TK Maxx. I adore that shop, but never seem to look through the bags because they never seem to have any that tickle my fancy! However, when I saw this I instantly fell in love. It offers almost everything I look for in a bag, black, simple, big, and good quality. What it doesn't offer is an inside zip, which isn't so good for someone like me who is in the city a lot and needs to be extra careful. I think its justified though because it is one of those "wag bags" that you carry on your forearm, so it's always close to me. The other is that it doesn't have a long strap that I can put over my shoulder. But I can let them slip because Its that nice. Its by a brand called Pulicati and cost me a bargain price of £40.00, its original retail price was £130.00 so I definitely got a good deal with this one! I was meant to be saving for a high end bag, I had my eye on a Alexander Wang and Mulberry planning to treat myself once I had finished university, but thats not the case anymore! I was fed up of spending money on bad quality bags that break within 4 months of use, just like the one I bought from Romwe. I've had a look online and seen you can buy it in some other colours on the TK Maxx website here.

Sunday, 27 May 2012

Last week I attended the Fluorescent PR Autumn/Winter 2012 press day! I had a really lovely day and was very impressed with all the brands, some I never had heard of before so I'm excited to share them with you today.

Burt's Bees is a brand I had always heard of, I know that their lip products are very popular! I was actually unaware that they have such a wide range of products. I love the rustic looking packaging, makes products look so appealing.

Jarlo, what a fabulous brand! Never heard of them before and was pleasantly surprised. Their collection has a retro feel and includes lots of pretty dress's filled with lace, crochet, feminine fabrics and prints! I'm attending a wedding this summer and spied some possible candidates as my chosen dress.

Possible dress for wedding? I picture wearing it with some brightly coloured wedges and a clutch to match.

Once again a brand that I had never heard of, Boux Avenue. I have a little soft spot for lovely, pretty undies, not that it would be my choice for everyday wear I just think its lovely to own some, especially for special occasions. Take that as you wish! Boux Avenue is actually owned my Theo Pathetis who I am a HUGE fan of. I'm just a bit obsessed with Dragons Den! The brand has a real sense of luxury to it, but whats so great is that its extremely reasonably priced. Which I feel is hard to find on the market!

I just had to include a picture of one of their pyjama pieces, I'm one of those people who could spent a tonne on pyjamas, I like bits like this for the summer months.

A pretty french style dressing table that I would love to have in my bedroom. Unfortunately, a bit too big to stuff up my top ;)

A gorgeous little display of cute pieces of jewellery and other bits and bobs from Rosie Wonders.

Lastly what I was most excited about... TK Maxx! One of my favourite shops. I love rummaging for bargains whether it be clothes, makeup or home wear, I could spend hours in there! They have some fantastic brands in their stores with up to 60% discount, I desperately urge you all just to try it out if you haven't already, I'm sure you will be shocked and pleased with your findings. I took a lot of pictures and this is already a photo heavy post so I have kept it to a minimal, otherwise I could get carried away.

One of my favourite pieces, love the colour, cut, style. Just everything!

Thank you if you have got through this big post, hope you have all been loving this fabulous weather in the UK :)

Saturday, 19 May 2012

Hello everyone! For a while I stopped posting my videos on my blog, I have no idea why. But from this video I thought I would start doing it, plus I have received quite a lot of new followers on my blog and some of you might not be aware that I also create YouTube videos. I will leave it down below, so feel free to subscribe! I will also leave other social links if you would like to follow me on twitter, Instagram or Tumblr.

Wednesday, 16 May 2012

I feel pretty weird blogging about deodorant but I'm a bit of a deodorant snob and find it really hard to find a good one. Sprays don't work on me, I find roll ons a bit slimey and can't stand that wet feeling, or the majority on the high street test on animals. I was using one by Simple which was really good but its not easily accessible. Then I saw someone mention the Rituals deodorants in a video, I'm sorry I can't give credit because I can't remember who, but I decided I would give it a go! I've tried a couple of products from Rituals and have been really impressed. I took a little trip down to Bond Street to the Rituals shop there, its next to Mulberry down a little side street if anyone is interested and I picked up this one - Yi Yi Ren & Organic White Lotus. It cost around the £7.50 mark, yes your probably thinking it is quite expensive for a deodorant but personally I think its worth it. Its really lovely and creamy with a fresh scent, most importantly it works really, really well. You also get 75ml of product and you would usually get around 50ml of product with other deodorants. They also do lots of other deodorant products in different forms too so its worth checking it out!

Monday, 14 May 2012

Pure Argan Oil - 100% Argan Oil 100ml: £19.95

I've never been one to bother about hair care, its in okay condition as it is. I don't use any heat or styling products at all! However my hair is pretty long and can tend to look ratty and become dry on the ends because of the old bleached parts and my tendency not to get it cut, oops! But since trying this product it has completely changed how I think about my hair, its good to take care of your hair. I've tried many products on the market that make claims, but they never really worked for me. Thats why I was a bit surprised that I have fallen in love with this product, and thats why I'm so excited to share this with you. This 100ml bottle contains 100% pure Argan oil. I apply it after the shower once my hair has been in my towel for about 30 minutes, one small pump does the job. I warm it up in my hands flip my head over and run it through my ends. The next morning I am left with conditioned, smooth and soft ends. It's completely changed how my hair looks - more alive and healthy! This is an amazing product and something I will re-purchase all over again. Some of you may currently be using Morrocan Oil, which yes it does contain a little bit of Argan oil, but its the sixth ingredient on the list I believe. The main ingredients in Morrocan oil are silicones and chemicals - generally not good for your hair, silicones may make your hair look shiny but eventually they gather up at the ends and will eventually break your hair, leading to split ends. I personally don't understand why its so raved about, especially for the price. Argan oil is not only good for your hair but you can also use it on your nails and skin. Mix it in with your moisturiser, shampoo or conditioner for extra hydration. Its meant to be especially good as a natural anti-ageing, psoriasis, eczema, acne,fading scars, stretch marks, healing blemishes. I'm yet to try it on my skin, but I have some spot scars that wont shift so I will let you know how I get on with that. It contains vitamin e so I think that explains why its good for healing! I just love how versatile it is and its become a staple of mine, I recommend it to anyone. I can see this lasting me for such a long time as well because you literally need the tiniest amount. I once made the mistake of using too much and it made my hair look greasy, not a good look. I'm not just saying all of these amazing things because I was sent this, I'm just extremely excited about sharing it with you. Yes its a little pricey but its so versatile and completely worth it.

UPDATED: For the past 3 weeks I have been trying this on my skin and have seen amazing results! Because of the vitamin E in the argan oil, it really helps to repair and fade scars. I have some stubborn spot scars on my face and it has noticeably reduced them. Also, because of the repairing properties in it, it's played a key role in this horrible breakout I have been suffering with. My spots seem to be healing a lot quicker not leaving as much of a mark behind. It has also been fantastic for all over my face as a little treatment, I have been swapping this for my usual night moisturiser and In the morning my skin surface is smoother, there is less redness and my skin is completely hydrated. Highly recommend it even more :)

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

This is a post that I have been wanting to do for such a long time, its quite a touchy subject. I think that people tend to avoid it at all costs, especially if they love animals. No one wants to feel guilty! I personally am against it, I hate it. I can't stand the thought of animals suffering and not being able to call out for help when they are in pain, they are vulnerable and its just not fair that its happening. I mean how shallow can we be? Animals suffering for a bit of makeup... Not worth it! I have always grown up having animals in my home so I do have that attachment to animals, but I can completely understand how some people just don't have that emotional attachment and don't really care for it! Which is fair enough, you can't force anyone to feel a certain way. It doesn't mean they are bad people, because I'm sure no one wants animals to be tested on. But then again I also think that there are so many great brands out there that don't test so I don't really see the point, I'm by no means a preachy person though. I'm not going to dislike someone just because they use Loreal products. I admit though, I don't know a hell of a lot about it so I don't want to go into it in detail in case I give any wrong information. But I do my best to stay away from brands that do test on animals. I will tell you what I do know though for newbies who may not have a clue...

In the EU its currently illegal to test on animals for cosmetics, a lot of the testing happens in Asia and America. There are 0 animal rights in Asia so there is usually no supervision and the animals are kept in terrible conditions and often treated badly.

Some companies may test on animals and be completely against it, but their parent company does. A prime example for this would be The Body Shop, who are owned by Loreal.

Some companies may not test on animals, but their suppliers (source of ingredients) may have test their ingredients on animals, or may have done in the past. An example for this would be Soap and Glory, they themselves don't test on animals but in the response I got from them, they have no way of knowing if the ingredients from their suppliers have been.

Some companies may claim they don't test on animals, but do so when required by law. Which basically means they do! I think they are just trying to make themselves look a little better.

There are many other points but I would be here forever listing them. You may want to check out websites like http://www.buav.org/. You can't always trust the list on Peta because they don't go through great lengths to check if the company doesn't test on animals. Where as on buav they make sure the companies suppliers etc. don't test on animals so its a lot more accurate. Or you can simply contact the company yourself, if you don't get a reply or you can't see anything on their website its likely they do and are avoiding you. But do be careful as they have weird and smart ways of wording their replies to make you think they don't, but really they do.

Getting to where I stand in this situation, I try my absolute best to stay clear of parent companies that test on animals, even though some of the brands within them are completely against it. This is because I don't want my money to fund what they do. If you think about it, if you buy a product from boots, who are against animal testing, you're still technically funding for the animal testing to happen because they stock brands that do test on animals. If you do decide to use brands whose parent companies test on animals its not all that bad, it just depends what your comfortable with and how far your willing to go with it. Some people get really petty about it and are like "well you wear leather and you eat this and that blaah" Just ignore them, its what you are comfortable with! At the end of the day, you can't live everyday in life not using something thats derived from animals, its nearly impossible. Here are a list of brands that I myself feel comfortable with using:

Philosophy

Barry M

New cid

Tarte

Urban Decay

Two Faced

Ren

Elizabeth Arden

Co-op own brand

Waitrose own brand

L'occitane

Lush

Christian Dior

Boots own brands

Superdrug own brands

Sainsburys own brands

Revlon

Chanel

Laura Mercier

Jemma Kidd

HD Brows

Bourjois

Topshop

Liz Earle

Eve Lom

Nuxe

Purity organics

Jergens

Neals Yard

Stila

Organix

Leighton Denny

Soap and Glory

Benefit

Bare Minerals

BM Beauty

Dermalogica

Treacle Moon

Caudalie

Sleek

MUA

Ojon

By Terry

Vivienne Westwood

Rituals
Carmex
Real Techniques
Sigma
Palmers
Nails Inc.
Models Own

I have probably forgotten loads but if a brand isn't on there then its either they test on animals, their parent company does or I just don't use them so I don't feel the need to do the research. Like I said before, the best thing to do is to contact the company themselves. I will be updating this on the regular. Also take note that companies sometimes change their policies, and I don't have the time to contact every single company every so often to find out. I have so many people saying to me about brands I use saying they test on animals, from my research I have conducted I have made the decision to use these brands and are happy with their response.

Monday, 7 May 2012

Last week I attended the Internacionale Autumn/Winter 2012 press day! This isn't a brand that I knew too much about, I've been quite curious so I was really excited to see what they had to offer. They have quite a lot of stores in the north of England so they are more well known up there. However their online store is launching sometime next week, which I''m so excited about for the fact that its going to be readily available. I have to say I was extremely impressed, all of the collections included a range of very fashion forward bits that are not only great value but the quality is really good. Its really refreshing to see a brand on the market bringing out pieces that people want, ticking those boxes. They are offering a wide range of lines with so many different styles, there seems to be something for everyone. I saw lots of gorgeous prints, embellishments, military pieces, textured fabrics and staple wardrobe items. Some of their lines are inspired by the catwalk with a very opulent feel, and some have a real street style look about them.

"Punk Couture"

This has to be one of my favourite collections, I adore the distressed grey tee, slouchy knits and grey jersey!

One of my other favourite collections, if you like military inspires pieces you will love these pieces. I personally love the parka, its such a staple and looks nice and simple. I can't stand too much detail on coats!

I love this faux leather jacket, the cut and quilting does it for me!

This is a piece that would look great buying a couple of sizes up to give that "I've just borrowed my boyfriends coat" kind of look, which by the way I love! I got myself one last winter and will definitely be getting it out this time around. However I really like this colour, tempted!

This collection says party season all over it! Full of embellishment, prints, metallics, velvet and leather!

A really good take on the scuba cut trend, the leather instantly updates it for the following season.

This collection says party season all over! I love the mix of metallics, feminine colours, sequins and knits!

I'm really excited for all of this to be available, I've seen so many bits that I want! I took so many more pictures and I wish I could have shown you all of them, but it just would have been too much.

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

The other week I headed down to the Very HQ to have a peep at Diana Vickers Spring/Summer 2012 collection! When we arrived we were greeted with champaign and nibbles which is always lovely. It was also great to see some familiar faces and meet new bloggers. Some of the other collections at Very were also on show including Fearne Cottons and Holly Willoughbys. Once we had a browse and socialised it was time for Diana Vickers to perform her acoustic set and It was so good! She has a beautiful voice, I had the opportunity to talk to her and she is such a lovely down to earth girl! Once she finished her set we asked her some questions, I obviously chose to ask her some fashion questions because I thought it would have been quite interesting for you guys! The first one that I asked was "Whats your go-to outfit" and her answer was - "Black Burberry jeans, Cheap Monday top, Acne boots and her Burberry leather jacket", very relaxed with a grunge vibe, love it! She also said she is loving Topshop and Urban Outfitters for high street buys. We love a celebrity that shops on the high street, its so much more inspiring! Below I have taken some pictures of the collections at Very with some of my favourite pieces.

This is Diana's collection here, it's full of fun prints and pieces that have a real vintage, retro feel about them. My favourite out of the collection is this slouchy aran knit jumper. The aran knit is such a staple and its nice to have a different take on it.

Here's Fearne and Hollys collection, Fearnes being on the left and Hollys on the right. They are both great style icons to a lot of people so it was nice that both of their lines really represented them and seemed like something they would actually wear.

I'm going to a wedding this summer and was thinking to myself how perfect this green lace dress would be, what do you think?!

Love these fun shorts. Paired with a basic and wedges in the summer, gorgeous!

The beautiful Diana performing! She was wearing the snakeskin skinny jeans from her collection as well as this cute little lace top, also from her collection. She looked stunning.